On the herding of cats Georgia Public Library Service

Who's who Administrative Lead General direction Political translation Team Lead / Project Manager Coordination Set expectations Developers / Domain Specialists Technical decisions Your customers! The reason you are there

Administrative Lead

General direction

Political translation

Team Lead / Project Manager

Coordination

Set expectations

Developers / Domain Specialists

Technical decisions

Your customers!

The reason you are there

Defining Goals Long term Flexible and general time-lines Over-arching framework Functionally dependent Milestones

Long term

Flexible and general time-lines

Over-arching framework

Functionally dependent Milestones

Defining Goals Medium Term Soft deadlines – weeks or months +/- 1 Full team functional deliverables

Medium Term

Soft deadlines – weeks or months +/- 1

Full team functional deliverables

Defining Goals Short term Short cycles – week at most Individual technical deliverables

Short term

Short cycles – week at most

Individual technical deliverables

Developer Do's Do: Discus everything until all stakeholders understand the issues Question every assumption For instance, a standard is useful only if it's in use elsewhere too Build technical consensus Bring on the numbers Push up Push back Call shenanigans

Do:

Discus everything until all stakeholders understand the issues

Question every assumption

For instance, a standard is useful only if it's in use elsewhere too

Build technical consensus

Bring on the numbers

Push up

Push back

Call shenanigans

Developer Don'ts Do Not: Leave your ego at the door, but ... Let your ego rule you Take management support for granted Mistake discussion for consensus Forget to bring the numbers when pushing up (or back)

Do Not:

Leave your ego at the door, but ...

Let your ego rule you

Take management support for granted

Mistake discussion for consensus

Forget to bring the numbers when pushing up (or back)

And finally ... Don't fear a fight! bradl miker_

Don't fear a fight!

bradl

miker_

Administration Do's Do: Listen to everything your engineers have to say Advocate for the customers (to the engineers) Advocate for the engineers (to the customers) Listen to your engineers (yes, it's here twice)

Do:

Listen to everything your engineers have to say

Advocate for the customers (to the engineers)

Advocate for the engineers (to the customers)

Listen to your engineers (yes, it's here twice)

Administrative Don'ts Do Nott Force hard long-term time-lines Require non-optimal working environment Be afraid to adjust the team Discount empirical evidence Believe the hype

Do Nott

Force hard long-term time-lines

Require non-optimal working environment

Be afraid to adjust the team

Discount empirical evidence

Believe the hype

Customer Do's Do: Participate from the start Be honest with initial feed-back Ask for clarification if something is confusing

Do:

Participate from the start

Be honest with initial feed-back

Ask for clarification if something is confusing

Customer Don'ts Do Not: Make assumptions about functionality Avoid “touchy” subjects Worry about looking ignorant (you're not supposed to know about programming)

Do Not:

Make assumptions about functionality

Avoid “touchy” subjects

Worry about looking ignorant (you're not supposed to know about programming)

Meetings As often as needed and no more Do it until it's done Include deliverables stakeholders and no one else And, of course...

As often as needed and no more

Do it until it's done

Include deliverables stakeholders and no one else

And, of course...

Tools / Environment Telecommuting Spontaneous meetings are BAD Control over development equipment Use the right tool for the job No language or tool mandates! The right tool is whatever gets things done

Telecommuting

Spontaneous meetings are BAD

Control over development equipment

Use the right tool for the job

No language or tool mandates!

The right tool is whatever gets things done

Results Measurement Were short, medium term goals on time? Did the general long term time-line slip? Functionally complete? Customer acceptance? Most importantly, Working Code Wins!

Were short, medium term goals on time?

Did the general long term time-line slip?

Functionally complete?

Customer acceptance?

Most importantly,

Working Code Wins!

Thank you for your time! Georgia Public Library Service